About Jayne Smith

Posts by Jayne Smith:

Millions of workers feel rushed back to the office before being ready

Millions of workers feel rushed back to the office before being ready

With more than 13.5 million workers having returned to their place of work for at least one day a week, more than four million say that they do not feel entirely safe doing so, claims new research by Direct Line Life Insurance. Some 5.5 million workers would work from home permanently if given the option and 3.6 million feel as though they are being rushed back in by their employer. More →

Are these the top ten most annoying behaviours while working from home?

Are these the top ten most annoying behaviours while working from home?

behavioursWith more of us working remotely than ever before, Premier Inn has surveyed over 1,000 working professionals to highlight the most endearing (and frustrating) behaviours displayed by colleagues while working from home. More →

Business leaders wary that greater workplace flexibility could encourage ‘proximity bias’

Business leaders wary that greater workplace flexibility could encourage ‘proximity bias’

flexibilityWith the vast majority (86 percent) of UK businesses planning to offer employees greater flexibility around where they work, leaders are focused on ensuring employees feel included regardless of their location, according to new research from LinkedIn. This comes as LinkedIn has seen a 97 percent increase in remote jobs being advertised on the platform in the UK from September 2020 to September 2021. More →

Recruitment drive sees majority of firms embed flexible working policies

Recruitment drive sees majority of firms embed flexible working policies

policiesNew research by Totum Partners, claims that the majority of firms now have hybrid working policies in place, as worker preferences and economy-wide recruitment pressures drive increased demand for flexible working. This includes 50 percent of firms which have implemented a company-wide policy, while the remaining 50 percent have published guidelines that can be interpreted by location or individual team. More →

Employers struggling to adapt employee experience to meet workforce needs

Employers struggling to adapt employee experience to meet workforce needs

employersDespite their best intentions, most employers are facing difficulties responding to changing employee expectations around employee experience and wellbeing during the pandemic. 69 percent of HR leaders admit that their efforts to improve employee experience are being held back by a lack of a clear strategy, and 76 percent report that they are struggling to adapt their employee experience to meet the needs of a hybrid workforce. More →

Lives at risk due to lack of first aiders in the office, warns St John Ambulance

Lives at risk due to lack of first aiders in the office, warns St John Ambulance

first aidersThe health charity claims that, in the last fortnight, less than half (49 percent) of the 2,000 UK workers surveyed believed there was a designated first aider in their workplace. More →

Companies focusing on holistic organisational health outperform their peers

Companies focusing on holistic organisational health outperform their peers

healthThe Josh Bersin Company have released a global study on the factors involved in creating a holistically “healthy” organisation. The research emphasizes the importance of transitioning from the traditional focus on employee benefits to one that encompasses job and work design, management, rewards practices, a demonstrated commitment to psychological safety and fairness, and a culture of employee health and listening. The research claims that a people-centric approach to all work is the foundation of every healthy organisation. More →

Office still valued by UK employees, providing space for productivity and collaboration

Office still valued by UK employees, providing space for productivity and collaboration

employeesNew research from Nespresso Professional claims that the office space is still highly valued by employees, with office workers naming seeing their colleagues (39 percent) as the thing they like most about being in the office. While a proper desk setup (31 percent) comes in second, office camaraderie (30 percent) took the third spot, showing the importance of the office environment for team building and relationships. More →

Net zero target will be missed by over half of organisations, claims report

Net zero target will be missed by over half of organisations, claims report

missing net zeroJust 41 percent of UK organisations are on track to meet the Government’s target for net zero carbon emissions by 2050, according to new research released by Dr Chris Brauer, Goldsmiths, University of London in partnership with Microsoft. The findings suggest strong ambition and strategic vision on sustainability within UK organisations, but most leaders are struggling to translate that intent into action, with almost three quarters (74 percent) described as having “one foot in and one foot out” on sustainability. More →

Activity climbs in third quarter for London office market

Activity climbs in third quarter for London office market

LondonThe latest research from Avison Young claims that the London office market’s recovery continued in the third quarter of 2021, with activity in the occupier market increasing to 2.4 million sq ft, 26 percent above the previous quarter and 1.1 percent above the 10-year quarterly average. More →

Three quarters of UK businesses think that remote workers pose a greater threat than office workers

Three quarters of UK businesses think that remote workers pose a greater threat than office workers

workersIn a survey of UK cyber security, IT and business professionals commissioned by WatchGuard Technologies, 75 percent of respondents believe that remote workers pose a greater IT security risk to their business than office workers.

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High hopes Gen Z will close the digital skills gap – but young people are in a confidence crisis

High hopes Gen Z will close the digital skills gap – but young people are in a confidence crisis

digital skillsThree-quarters of tech leaders think Gen Z will solve the digital skills shortage (72 percent), with an even higher number (77 percent) believing these ‘digital-natives’ have the best ability of any generation. However, while half of Gen Z have a career in tech or firm plans to pursue one in the next five years (46 percent), they have low confidence in their digital abilities. More →